The regional conference brings together leaders and representatives from a number of countries, including the foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia.

French President Emmanuel Macron, whose country is co-organizing the meeting, arrived in Baghdad early on Saturday, describing the summit in a press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi as “historic”.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Jordan’s King Abdulla II, Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Kuwaiti Premier Sabah al-Khalid al-Sabah also arrived in Iraq to attend the conference.

Participants are expected to discuss a regional water crisis, the war in Yemen and a severe economic and political crisis in Lebanon that has brought the country to the point of collapse.

Iraqi special forces deployed in Baghdad, particularly around the Green Zone, which houses foreign embassies and is the seat of the Iraqi government.

Saturday’s summit is a chance for Iraqi prime minister to showcase his recent efforts to portray Iraq as a neutral mediator in the region’s crises and re-engage with the world after decades of conflict.

Iraq seeks to play a “unifying role” to tackle crises shaking the region, AFP cited sources close to Kadhimi have as saying.

Baghdad has been brokering talks since April between U.S. ally Riyadh and Tehran on mending ties severed in 2016. The talks signaled a possible de-escalation following years of animosity that often spilled into neighboring countries and at least one still-raging war.

An Iraqi government official told The Associated Press that he anticipated Saudi and Iranian officials would hold talks on the sidelines of Saturday’s meetings.

He said the aim was to bring opponents to the same table and create a political atmosphere for resolving outstanding problems, according to AP.

Iraq’s message at the summit is that it stands at the same distance from all sides, the official said.

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